


Our secret lights up the world

by china_shop



Category: White Collar
Genre: F/M, Fic, Future Fic, M/M, Multi, Timestamp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-28
Updated: 2013-10-28
Packaged: 2017-12-30 17:09:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1021249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/china_shop/pseuds/china_shop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a timestamp for <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/768649">Lucky</a>, but can stand alone. Future fic. No spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our secret lights up the world

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Lucky](https://archiveofourown.org/works/768649) by [china_shop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/china_shop/pseuds/china_shop). 



> This is for the run_the_con lightning round, prompt: Secret messages.
> 
> Thanks to mergatrude for beta! <3

The drinks had arrived and El was describing some of the venues they'd used for different kinds of events, trying to keep it entertaining and not too technical, when Neal showed up. 

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I got held up." He was a little out of breath but looking as sharp as ever. A touch of grey at his temples added gravitas, but otherwise he could still pass for late twenties, even now. He kissed El on the cheek, brief enough to be just friendly, and smiled at their guests. 

"Everything okay?" murmured El, meaning Peter and the case. His being delayed wasn't necessarily a bad sign but that didn't stop her from worrying. 

But Neal's expression was calm and reassuring, and he casually touched her shoulder, their silent safe word. 

She relaxed and turned to their newest potential clients, the top marketing managers for an up-and-coming record label. "Amanda, Scott," she said, "I'd like you to meet my business partner, Neal Caffrey."

"Ah, the 'Caffrey' in Burke and Caffrey Premier Events," said Amanda, shaking Neal's hand. "Nice to meet you."

El slid the martini she'd ordered Neal toward his corner of the table and watched, amused, as he proceeded to charm Amanda, who was in her early sixties and wearing a lot of bling, gruff and nobody's fool. She was making him work for it, but he'd win her over in the end. Neal loved a challenge. 

Peter had always hated making small talk with strangers, building business relationships out of incidental overlaps in taste and opinion, but being personable was second nature to Neal, and it gave El a little zing to watch him do it, reminding her of the early days of their relationship when she'd been seduced by the idea of the beautiful con artist/thief at the same time as she'd fallen for Neal for real. 

She tore her gaze away and found Scott's eyes on her. Observing her watching Neal. But it was hardly the first time she'd been caught out like that, and she grinned easily. "I'm a married woman, but you can't blame me for appreciating the scenery, right?"

"Not at all." Scott cast Neal an appreciative glance too.

El hid her smugness at knowing Neal was hers and dropped a hint about his having a boyfriend before Scott got his hopes up, after which she turned on her own charm. It only took a few minutes to find common ground—classic jazz—and then the conversation flowed.

Neal ordered a second round of drinks, and when El glanced across at him, he was rubbing his thumb across his signet ring. It was another code—this one meaning _I love you._ El caught his eye, winked and turned back to Scott and Amanda before she gave herself away.

"So what's your role in the business, Neal?" Amanda was asking, providing the opening they'd been waiting for. 

"I'm a silent partner, so mostly decorative," he told her. "El is the brains behind it all. But I like to meet our top clients, make sure everyone's happy, and I help out when I can."

"It depends on the event," El chimed in. "Neal's a security specialist, so I sometimes bring him in for exhibition openings or showings of valuable artifacts. But generally speaking, I have an excellent staff, and we've managed everything from book launches to banquets, and exhibition openings to large society weddings. You can count on us."

"We know what we're doing," said Neal, making their familiar sales pitch sound fresh and natural.

"I guess we'll see about that," said Amanda, sitting back and sipping her drink. "I'd like to give your company a trial run."

 

*

 

They caught a taxi home just after ten, tired and triumphant. 

"Another client hooked by the infamous Burke and Caffrey," said El, leaning her head against Neal's shoulder, the back of her hand resting lightly against his thigh. They didn't worry too much about cab drivers, but kisses still had to wait till they were inside the house. "How's the case going, really?"

"Slowly," said Neal. "Peter was stuck in the van when I left. No movement at the holding company's offices or in their accounts."

"You think something spooked them?" El didn't know all the details of the case, but Peter's new crop of field agents were still learning the ropes, and it wouldn't be the first time the FBI had shown its hand too early. _I don't know what they teach them at Quantico these days,_ Peter had grumbled last night as he slid into bed between her and Neal.

"Too soon to say." Neal traced a circle on her wrist with his finger as the taxi pulled up outside the townhouse. He still kept his room at June's for appearances' sake, but in the year and a half since being freed of the anklet, he'd spent five or six nights a week here with them, and most of his clothes had migrated permanently to the guest room. They'd talked about finding somewhere bigger for the three of them and to hell with appearances, but they hadn't done anything about it yet. The risks were too great, especially for Peter. If their relationship came out now it wouldn't be as damaging as before, when Neal was on parole, but it would still mean an end to their working together, and questions would inevitably be asked—How long? Had there be any abuse of power? It was easier, safer to stick to the status quo. 

It was a good status quo.

El had kicked off her new shoes in the taxi so she could wiggle the cramp from her toes, and it was only a short walk to the front door. She got out while Neal paid the driver, and tiptoed over the dew-wet pavement in her stockinged feet. The living-room lights were on. Peter must be home from his stakeout after all, probably camped out on the couch watching sports or the news, slipping Satchmo corn chips. El's heart skipped a pleased beat. Nothing was better than having both her men safely home with her, easy warmth and teasing desire wrapped around them like a cocoon.

The taxi drove away, and the next thing El knew, she was being swept off her feet into Neal's arms. She squeaked in surprise, then laughed up at him and hooked her arm around his neck. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Saving your stockings." 

El snickered. "So gallant."

"I try." He halted in his tracks, smiling down at her, looking so handsome that he barely seemed real, even after all this time. "You deserve gallantry. Dragons slain, flowers and jewels, adoring new clients by the dozen."

"Neal, honey?" she said softly.

"Mmm?"

"Much as I like the idea of you holding me all night, maybe take me inside where my husband and I can kiss you without the neighbors seeing first?"

Neal laughed. "When you put it like that—" His arms tightened around her, and he carried her the last few yards and up the steps to the door.

 

END


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